Pitman connection.



No. 698.934. V Patented Apr. 29, !902.

J. E. GUNDBY.

PITMAN CONNECTION.

A icacio' filed. Feb. 27. 1902.

(Ilo Mada l.)

6 u& 1 c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. GUNDRY, OF RANKIN, MICHIGAN.

PITMAN CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 698934, dated Aprl 29, 1902. Application filed February 27,1902. Serial No. 95,887. (No model.)

To all whom it Duty conccrn:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. GUNDRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rankin, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have i nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pitman Connections, of which the following is a specification. i

The object of this invention is to provide a pitman connection or ball-and-socket joint which is especially adapted for use in harvesting-machincs, though it may be applied to other uses where a connection or joint of this character is desired.

The invention contemplates .a particular' Construction of ball-and-socket joint whereby to provide for quickly and Conveniently adjusting the parts to compensate for wear and to firmly and securely lock such adjustment, and,` 'urthermore, to provide for readily disconnecting the joint when desired.

The foregoing objects are attained by a peculiar Construction and arrangcment of parts constituting my improved pitman connection, all as hereinafter described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanyin g drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pitman connection constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View, the dotted lines showing the' socket opened. Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at the opposite side from Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the looking-bar.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several Views of the drawings.

A designates the pitman-rod, to the outer end of which is attached the socket of the joint, and B designates a rod or arm which carries the ball, andin the application of my C', wlereby the cup on the part C' may be swung away from the cup on the other plate (3 It will be here noted that by tapering the end of the pitman-rod the projecting end portions of the plates upon which the cups are formed may be brought closer together and that as the plate. 0 is attached to the pitman-rod in therear of the tapered portion the said plate is permitted to have' a slight spring movement inward.

The ball D is adapted to bear in the socket formed by the cups on the aforementioned plates, and in order to provide for adjusting said cups and securely holding such adjustment, as well as to form a strong and durable socket or joint, I provide a locking device which I shall now proceed to describe.

A plate e is attached to the side of the pitman-rod, against which the hinged section or plate C' bears, and this plate is provided with holes e', into which fit short pins c', projecting from the inner side of said hinged section or plate C', so that when the socket is closed and the pitman is in operation the pintle of the`hinge will be relieved of strain. *The connection of the hinged plate is also reinforced by the looking-bar, hereinafter referred to.

In the rear of the'cups c each plate C' and 0 is provided with a keyhole-slot 0 and surrounding the circular portion of the slot at the outer side of each plate is an annular inclined surface 0 the inclination beginning at one side of the tail of the slot and ending at the other side thereof.

F designates the looking-bar, by which the cups are closed upon the ball. This looking- A bar is adapted to fit the circular portion of the keyhole-slots and is provided with tongues f,` which are spaced apart, so as to ride upon the inclined surfaces 0 and move the projecting ends of the plates C' and 0 toward each other.- The tongue at one endofthe locking-bar corresponds in size with the tail of the keyhole-slots, so that the said bar may be passed through the plates. In order to hold this looking-bar adj usted to any extent, it is provided with a ratchet-wheel f', with which engages a spring-pawl f the latter being attached to the outer side of the plate 0 and to facilitate the operation of turning said looking-bar a lever or handle f is attached or formed integrally at one end thereofa IOO 'wheel f', will hold the looking-bar against backward movement, andthereby securely retain the parts in theiradjusted position. The joint or connection can therefore be quickly and Conveniently adjusted at any time and withoutthe use of a wrench or other implement, as the handle or lever by which the locking-bar is turned is permanently secured to one end thereof. In some cases "I may prefer to merely square the end of the locking-bar instead of providing the handle, and in such an instance the bar would be turnedby an ordinary nut-wrench. However, it is preferable to have the handle on the end of the bar, as comparatively little force is required to turn the locking-bar, and the short handle will not interfere. When it is desired to disconnect the parts of the joint, the pawl is released and the looking-bar is turned backward until the tongue at the outer end thereof is on aline With the tail of the keyh ole slot in the hinged plate 0 when the latter can be swung backward, moving the cup at the outer end thereof away from the ball, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

The particular constructiou of joint herein shown and described provides a very simple and effective means for adjustably connecting a ball and socket and permits the socket to be adjusted upon the ball to any desired extent and when so adjusted forms a strong and durable connection and one in which the adjustment is not affected by the vibration of the pitman-rod. The hinged plate when closed upon the ball is reinforced in its connection with the pitman-rod by means of the pins, which engage the holes in the plate, so that the longitudinal strain Will not come entirely upon the pintle of the hinge.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pitman connection, the combination with the pitman-rod, of plates attached to the sides of the'pitman-rod and projecting he yond the end thereof, said plates having cups at their free ends and in the rear of said cu ps provided with keyhole-slots, there being inclined surfaces on the outer sides of the plates and surrounding the circular portions of said keyhole Slots, and a looking bar having tongues spaced' apart, said tongues being adapted to ride upon the inclined surfaces and thereby move the plates toward each other; together with means for holding the loeking bar adjusted. i

2. In a pitman connection, the combination With the pitman-rod, of plates attached to the sides of the pitman-rod 'and projecting beyond the end thereof, one of the plates being hinged at its inner end and both provided withcups at their outer ends and in the rear of said cups with openings having a surrounding inclined surface, a looking-bar having tongues spaced apart and adapted to ride upon the inclined surfaces of the plates, and means for holding the looking-bar.

3. In a pitman connection, the combination with the pitman-rod, of plates attached to the sides of the pitman-rod and projecting beyond the end thereo', one of the plates being hinged at its inner end and provided with short pins engaging corresponding holes in the pitman-rod, cups at the free ends of said plates, each plate having a keyhole slot and on its outer side an inclined surface surrounding the circular portion of the keyhole` slot, and a looking-bar mounted in' the key hole-slots and provided with tongues spaced apart and adaptedto ride upon the inclined surfaces and bring the cups toward each other; together with means -for holding the looking-bar.

4:. In a pitnan connection, the combination with the pitman-rod, of plates attached to the sides of the pitman-rod and provided with cups and With openings having surrounding inclined surfaces at the outer sides of the plates, a locking-bar mounted in the openings and provided with tongues adapted to ride upon the inclined surfaces and move the cups toward each other, a ratchet-wheel on the looking-bar, a pawl carried by one of the plates and engaging said ratchet-wheel, and a handle formed on or attached to the end of the looking-bar, substantially as shown and described.

6. ln a pitman connection, the combination with the pitman-rod, of plates attached to the sides of said pitman-rod, one of the plates being hinged at its inner end, cups at the outer end of the plates, there being inclined sursurfaces surrounding openings in the plates, a lockingbar mounted in said openings,

tongues on the looking-bar adapted to ride JAMES E. GUNDRY.

lVitnesses:

JOHN HILL, FRANCIS M. S'roRMns. 

